


Next Time Say Goodbye

by Spookyrus



Category: Freedom Planet (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Police, Drama, F/F, F/M, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Romantic Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-03-22 23:51:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13775235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spookyrus/pseuds/Spookyrus
Summary: Lilac, years into her adulthood, works as a police officer for Shang Tu. While content, she can't deny that she could use a bit more excitement in her life. Spade being assigned as her partner wasn't the kind of excitement she was looking for. Investigating the murder of a friend wasn't either.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> FanFiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12830504/1/Next-Time-Say-Goodbye  
> DeviantArt: https://mpuppy4.deviantart.com/art/FP-Next-Time-Say-Goodbye-Prologue-729677743  
> Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/141348240-next-time-say-goodbye-a-freedom-planet-story

The Shang Tu Police Department — or, STPD, for short. In the vast, beautiful blue city of Shang Tu, it was but another building on the long central road leading up to the Royal Palace. Inside, it was bustling with officers and guards, and any citizen with a dilemma that needed to be solved. At the STPD, it was like any other day. It seemed that everyone was content with that.  
  
Inside the Department, down a series of brightly lit hallways, increasingly empty as they passed, there was a door. It looked much like the other doors around it, the only exception being the name on the front of it. Two words, engraved in gold, entwined beautifully together to make a name, like the embracing hands of lovers.  
  
Behind the door with the beautiful name, in a dark, dimly lit room, there were two desks facing away from each other. One, barren aside from the essentials, desktop computer, paper and pens. The other, overflowing with papers and files, strewn about in disorderly fashion. The desk was decorated with an overabundance of photographs, each depicting smiling faces, people together during good times. The desk lamp, the only light in the room, was shining down on an officer asleep in her chair, head resting on her palm, drooling onto her case papers.  
  
With a small click, the door opened, spilling light into the dark room. A person entered, flipping on the nearby switch and illuminating the room. The officer at the desk stirred, sniffling in her sleep, but did not awake. The person approached and tapped the officer on the shoulder. She didn't respond. So, the visitor tried something more straightforward.  
  
_Slam._  
  
At once, the officer snapped awake, her sudden movement sending papers flying. She scrambled to recollect them, awkwardly sorting them together as she looked up at the hilt of the spear resting against her desk. She then continued to look up at the person holding said spear, addressing her with a stern expression.  
  
"Officer Tea."  
  
The officer swallowed and put on a weak smile. "Neera..." She looked down at the mess she called a workplace and nervously ran her fingers back through her short hair. "I'm sorry, I was up late last night..."  
  
"Don't make excuses," said Neera shortly.  
  
The officer nodded apologetically, placing her papers back into their correct places. Neera, meanwhile, had mounted her spear on her back and was on her way out. She stopped in the doorway and turned back. "Come along."  
  
So, the officer abandoned her room to follow Neera back up the Department's halls. As she walked, she attempted to straighten out her uniform. This proved to be a task while keeping up with Neera's brisk pace.  
  
"You remember what we're doing, correct?" Neera said.  
  
At once, the officer's expression lit up. "Of course! You're assigning me a partner."  
  
Neera nodded. "You're more enthusiastic about it than I might have expected. I thought you liked working alone."  
  
"I do. But this could be a nice change of pace, you know? Break up the monotony. Who knows, it might even be... nostalgic. If that makes any sense."  
  
"Perhaps." Neera shrugged mildly. "Now you must remember, he's only completed his training recently."  
  
The officer nodded attentively. "Right, so you want me to show him the ropes."  
  
"Precisely.”  
  
“Yeah. I can do that.”  
  
“Good. It shouldn't be a problem for you.”  
  
“No ma'am.”  
  
The officer glanced around, biting her lip, before facing forward again.  
  
“So… Can you tell me anything about him?”  
  
“You’re about to meet him.”  
  
“I know, but… I’d just like to have a little information going in, if that’s okay.”  
  
Neera hummed. “Well, he’s very talented. He has a sharp eye and a strong mind.”  
  
The officer nodded contentedly. “He should make a good investigator, then.”  
  
“With any luck, he'll be an equally good match for you.”  
  
"With any luck."  
  
Eventually, Neera stopped walking, and the officer halted obediently behind her.  
  
“I should warn you, though…” Neera cautioned, “He's a bit… reckless. ‘Plays by his own rules,’ as it were.”  
  
The officer chuckled. “Sounds familiar.”  
  
“I wonder why.”  
  
“Don't worry about it. I'll keep him in line.”  
  
Neera nodded. “I'm counting on it.”  
  
The officer looked to the door they were standing in front of, then back to Neera. “Thank you for choosing me for this opportunity,” she said with a salute. “I won't let you down.”  
  
“I know,” said Neera, smiling slightly. “You never have before.”  
  
She twisted the handle and opened the door, and the two stepped inside. The room was filled with desks, but only one at the front was occupied. It was occupied by a man, who didn't respond when the two women entered; a man whom the sight of caused the officer's optimism to immediately drop into her stomach.  
  
She would know this man anywhere. He was the last person she’d been expecting to see.  
  
He was leaned back in a chair, feet folded atop the desk. Dressed in uniform, his jacket was unbuttoned, and his tie was improperly tied. He was busying himself by lazily shuffling a deck of cards in his hands.  
  
“Spade?”  
  
At once, the man stopped completely. Slowly, he turned his head in her direction. Then, their eyes met. They stayed there for an amount of time, each frozen to the other’s cold stare. Without breaking from her gaze, he removed his feet from the desk and stood up, his brow knitting into a scowl.  
  
“Sash.”  
  
Although their stare was intense enough to freeze over a volcano, this had no bearing on Neera. She stepped between them, glancing from him, to her. Her presence did little to break the ice. Regardless, she continued.  
  
“Officer Sean Shuiman.” Neera pointed to him.  
  
“Officer Lilac Tea.” Then, to her.  
  
Unhesitatingly, though her expression was hard, she stepped forward and extended her hand to him. He stared down at it momentarily, before meeting her eyes again. He took her hand and gripped it, and she gripped in return, both probably tighter than they should have.  
  
“I trust that you two are already acquainted with each other.”  
  
They released their hands and looked away.  
  
“No,” said Spade, as Lilac ran her fingers through her hair again. “I don’t know this girl at all.”


	2. Chapter 2

Down the halls of the STPD, Lilac and Spade made their way back to their office in total silence. Not a word passed between them, or to anybody who cast them a glance as they went by. Neither spoke. Neither looked at each other. Both simply scowled at nothing in particular, keeping their breath to themselves.  
  
Somewhere on the walk down, Lilac's scowl eased a little. She glanced back at Spade, who stubbornly refused to return the look. With a sigh, she turned back around.  
  
"So," she said, a bit pointed in her tone, "you're a police officer now."  
  
"Seems like," Spade responded disintestedly.  
  
Lilac quietly scanned the floor. She spoke again, struggling to keep that sharpness from her voice.  
  
"What happened to the Red Scarves?"  
  
Behind her, she heard Spade make a small grumble. "It's a long story," he muttered.  
  
Lilac sighed again. "I see."  
  
Silence, again. Lilac walked, and Spade followed. After a moment, he lifted his head. He looked at Lilac, who didn't look back. He looked her up and down. She was tall and fit, a bit more so than the last time he'd seen her, though he couldn't say he was very fond of the officer uniform on her. Despite the circumstances, she walked with a certain amount of pride in her step and stature; not an arrogant amount, but the Lilac amount that said she was happy with herself. The kind of pride that Spade never had.  
  
Although she was in good condition, there was something very off about Lilac. It magnetically drew Spade's eyes, not to something that was there, but to the void of something that wasn't. Every other time he'd seen her, be they foolish children or bitter adults, she'd been graced with stunning draconic strands, trailing like tails from her head and magnifying her draconic and feminine beauty. But now...  
  
"What happened to your hair?"  
  
Lilac stopped walking.  
  
Spade stopped behind her, raising an eyebrow. She stood stiff, neck craned down. He couldn't see her face, but she suddenly seemed a lot less okay.  
  
"It's..." she breathed. "It's a long story."  
  
Spade blinked tentatively. He glanced to the left, to see the door inscribed with Lilac's name.  
  
_Officer Lilac L. Tea_  
  
His brow furrowed.  
  
"I see."  
  
Brushing her hair back, Lilac opened the door and stepped inside, flipping on the lights. Spade slipped his hands into his pockets and followed. It was just as Lilac had left it, much to her embarrassment, as there were still papers on the floor beside her desk.  
  
"So," she huffed, nervously fixing her tie. "This is my office. Or, our office now, I guess." She indicated the empty desk to the right. "That desk is yours. I got it ready for you."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
The two approached their own respective desks. Lilac grumbled to herself as she took the papers off of the floor and tossed them onto her desk. Spade, meanwhile, sat down in his shiny, untouched swivel chair and adjusted its height to his. He looked inside the drawer, which was occupied by a couple of trays, one of which was filled with blank paper. He closed the drawer and turned his attention to the desk's corner, where a handful of pens sat neatly in a cup, organized by color. He removed one and twiddled with it, looking it over absently.  
  
"You, uh, had a partner before?"  
  
"What? Oh, no." Lilac shook her head, continuing to busy herself with papers. "There were two desks when I came in... I think Neera's been planning to match me since I was hired. She must have just been waiting for the... right person."  
  
"Right," Spade responded, and he placed the pen back in its cup. He looked over the boring desk again, humming thoughtfully to himself. It was certainly a desk. But it didn't feel like his desk. He reached into his pocket, retrieving his deck of cards and placing it in the other corner. He straightened it out so that it was perpendicular to the edge. There. Now it was his desk.  
  
"You should have gotten a work email. You can use it to sign in."  
  
"Right."  
  
Spade turned to the computer in front of him and wiggled the mouse so that the screen came on. He stared blankly at the text box that came up, tapping his fingers against the desk.  
  
"Just let me get everything sorted, then I'll debrief you on the case I've been working on."  
  
"Okay."  
  
After trying several combinations of numbers and the letters of his name, Spade miraculously managed to get signed in without it locking him out. He looked around at the old software version, the cheap internet browser, the boring wallpaper. A notification popped up, and he clicked on it. Boring email layout. Boring introduction message. Boring.  
  
He spun his chair around, glancing about the room. There wasn't much to look at. Lilac hadn't decorated the walls, or anything beyond her own desk. At the moment, she was still fussing with papers, messing around in the desk drawer, putting things in and pulling things out. Eventually, she sat down in front of the computer. Spade couldn't see what she was doing on it, but he could clearly see her fingers on the mouse.  
  
Fingers, one of which was decorated by a shiny golden ring.  
  
Spade narrowed his eyes. He cast a glance to the nameplate on her desk, then again to the ring.  
  
"You're married."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"To Carol."  
  
"Yes."  
  
His eyes narrowed harder.  
  
He continued to stare at the ring with suspicion. At least, until Lilac moved her hand away, and he couldn't see it anymore. He looked up. Lilac seemed to be almost done with whatever she was doing.  
  
"I didn't take you for a lesbian."  
  
Lilac rolled her eyes. "Well, technically I'm only half of a lesbian."  
  
Spade nodded slowly, turning his swivel chair back around to the desk. Computer was still boring. He took his deck in his hands and began shuffling the cards. Then he stopped.  
  
"Why Carol?"  
  
Lilac's brow lowered. "She tied me up and threatened to tickle me to death if I didn't say 'I do.'"  
  
"Kinky."  
  
Lilac shook her head, taking a file in her hands and approaching his desk. "We love each other. There's nothing more to it than that."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
"Here." She held the file out to him, and he lifted his head. Slowly, he sorted his cards together, putting the deck back in its place and reangling it so that it was exactly the same as it was before he picked it up, and Lilac muttered "take your time." Once it was just right, Spade nodded to himself, turned to Lilac, and took the file from her.  
  
"There's been a rash of robberies in the uptown area of the city," Lilac explained while Spade licked his fingers and flipped through papers. "They've all taken place at social gatherings, and none of them have been discreet."  
  
"Sounds pretty cut and dry."  
  
"Well, it might get interesting next weekend... when the Magister holds his annual Royal Gala."  
  
"Ah yes," Spade scoffed, "the fancy important people party that only rich snobs and suck-ups get to go to. You know. Like you." Lilac huffed indignantly, and Spade smirked slightly. "So, you think the thief is gonna strike there?"  
  
"I have a hunch."  
  
"Then it sounds like you've got this under control."  
  
"I'd like to think so."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Nice."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Spade placed the papers back in the file and clapped it shut, and Lilac snatched it out of his hands. He glanced back at her as she returned to her desk, placing the file down, folding her hands together and sitting stiff in her chair.  
  
"So you  _are_  going to that royal party thing, then?" Spade inquired.  
  
"Yes," Lilac answered. "As a matter of fact, I was invited even before I took the case."  
  
Spade chuckled. "Right, because you're the Magister's favorite sparkly pet."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
“It’s true.”  
  
"About as true as you're a decent person."  
  
"About as true as you saved the world twice as a teenager."  
  
Lilac blinked. "I... I  _did_  do that."  
  
"Exactly." They faced each other, and Spade cocked a skeptical eyebrow. "You could be doing anything. So, out of all the possibilities… Why are you here?"  
  
Lilac remained quiet for a moment, her mouth gaping open slightly. Then she caught herself. Consciously brushing her hair back, she lowered her head, and answered, "You know, I asked you the same question earlier and you didn't answer."  
  
Spade shook his head. "No, Sash, you asked me what happened to the Red Scarves and I didn't answer."  
  
Lilac’s expression softened, and she sighed. "I'm helping people. That's all I care about.” She turned away, adding bitterly, “Not that you would know what that's like,  _Sean."_  
  
"Don't call me Sean,” Spade growled.  
  
"Don't call me Sash,” Lilac retorted.  
  
Spade grunted, and they both concerned themselves with whatever at their desks. For a time, they sat in silence, only the sounds of clicking mice and moving papers splitting the cold quiet. Neither Lilac nor Spade so much as glanced at each other, even at the reflection in their monitors. At least, until Spade ruined it.  
  
"All the people on Avalice and you seriously couldn't do any better than Carol?"  
  
At that, Lilac stood up and trudged to the door without bothering to push her chair back in, muttering something about the bathroom.  
  
"'Lilac Tea' is a terrible name!" Spade called after her, and she kept walking. "Doesn't roll off the tongue at all!"  
  
She was already gone.

* * *

  
_Neera M. Li, Chief of Police  
  
_ Lilac knocked on the large glass door leading to Neera’s office. Of course, given that it was glass, she and Neera could quite clearly see each other, even with her standing outside. Neera raised an eyebrow at her, and Lilac sighed, taking that as her signal to come in.  
  
She stood at the front of the large room, Neera staring back at her expectantly. Lilac opened her mouth, then closed it again, possibly having forgotten what she had come here to say. Or at least, she couldn’t think of how to say it. So instead, she just stood there awkwardly, not saying anything at all. So Neera spoke instead.  
  
“Are you waiting for me to say ‘surprise’?”  
  
Lilac inhaled sharply.  
  
“Why is it Spade?” she questioned, her voice almost a desperate plea. "Why didn't you tell me that it's Spade?"  
  
"You wouldn't have agreed if you had known,” Neera answered.  
  
"Of course I wouldn't have— It's— It's Spade! He's—” Lilac stopped, pressing her palm against her forehead before dropping her arm again to her side. “Why is it Spade?" she asked softly.  
  
"That's what we're trying to figure out."  
  
Lilac blinked. "Wait, what?"  
  
Neera stood up, taking a file off of her desk and approaching Lilac. She extended the file to her, and Lilac looked down at it in confusion, before taking it in her hands and looking back up. Neera stood patiently while Lilac flipped through the papers inside, scanning each one thoroughly. At first glance, it appeared to be Spade's criminal record, describing in detail almost every illegal thing he’d ever done. Some of them, Lilac knew about. Some of them, she didn’t. Some of them, she’d actually been there for. She didn't know why she was looking at this.  
  
"Sean is a criminal,” Neera stated flatly, and Lilac looked back to her, confusion unfading. “One of the highest ranking members of the city's most dangerous criminal guild. People like him don't turn themselves in without a good reason."  
  
"What? Wait... He turned himself in? When?"  
  
"Almost a year ago now."  
  
"What?!" Lilac gasped. "Why didn't you tell us?!"  
  
"Because you would have interfered," Neera answered simply.  
  
"Why would that be a problem?! He's Spade, I know him better than anybody, I could have—"  
  
"Your bias is exactly why that would have been a problem. It's better that he was handled by us alone."  
  
Lilac raised her index finger in preparation to argue, then lowered it again. She lowered her gaze to the floor and scratched her chin.  
  
"However..." Lilac perked as Neera went on. "It's true that you have the best understanding of him." Neera took the file back, retrieved a pen from her pocket, wrote something on it, and handed it back to Lilac."Which is why I'm assigning you to his case."  
  
"His... case?" Lilac looked to see what Neera had written.  
  
_Investigation File: Sean "Spade" Shuiman  
  
_ "As I was saying, people like him don't turn themselves in, much less volunteer themselves as an officer, without a good reason. We don't know that reason. The most information he's divulged to us is that he was removed from the Scarves' ranks, but he refused to elaborate."  
  
Lilac stared down at the file in her hands, looking its contents over and over without actually reading what she was looking at. "Spade..."  
  
"This is suspicious, to say the least." Neera reached forward and closed the file, snapping Lilac back to attention. "I made you his partner so you could investigate him. Find out if he's sincere in his motivations, and whether or not he's up to something. And if he does try anything... report to me, so he can be taken care of. Do you understand?"  
  
"I... But, I'm already working on a ca—"  
  
"Busywork, which you have under control.  _Do you understand?"  
  
_ Lilac bit her lip.  
  
Then she sighed.  
  
"I understand."  
  
"Good. I trust that the case is in good hands." At that, Neera returned to her desk... or started to, before glancing back on the way. Lilac was standing still, staring wistfully down at the case file with gentle eyes. Neera clenched her teeth and averted her gaze. Then, she returned to Lilac's side.  
  
"I understand that this is difficult for you, given your history with him," she said, resting a hand on Lilac's shoulder. "But it's that history that makes you the best choice for this assignment."  
  
"I know," Lilac whispered. "I understand."  
  
"You're perfectly capable of handling this. And in any case, if it  _does_  turn out that he's being sincere... Well, the two of you should make good partners." Lilac nodded, and Neera folded her hands behind her back. "I can still count on you, can't I?"  
  
Lilac remained contemplative for a moment. Then, she lifted her head, expression rigid, and nodded again. "Of course. I won't let you down."  
  
"Very good." Neera gave Lilac a pat on the back, and this time returned to her desk for real. "Good luck with your assignment. And as always, if you need anything for your investigation, we'll see that it can be provided for you."  
  
"Yes. Thank you."  
  
Lilac bowed slightly, and with the case file in hand, she made her way back to the door. But then, just as she was about to leave, she stopped. She looked back, and Neera blinked in acknowledgment.  
  
"Actually... I could use a favor."

* * *

  
Lilac walked back down the department's halls with the confident stride that she was accustomed to. When she walked back into her and Spade's office, she went straight to her desk, quickly and quietly slipping her file into the desk drawer.  
  
"She returns."  
  
Lilac glanced to Spade, who was playing a racing game on the internet, not returning her gaze. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Funny thing about work, you're supposed to be working."  
  
"Funny thing about work, I wasn't given any."  
  
Moments later, a pile of papers had been moved from Lilac's desk to Spade, and he looked away from his game to stare blankly at it. Lilac was standing over him, arms folded, wearing a smug smirk.  
  
"Well, since we're partners now, my work is your work, right?"  
  
Spade continued staring at the pile of papers for a few seconds. Then, without a word, he turned back to his computer went about with his game. Lilac's head fell to one side, and she returned to her side of the room. She made sure that her new file was safely secured under a bunch of other papers in the desk drawer, then sat down in her chair. She took a deep breath, in, and then out. Then she went about with her paperwork.  
  
For a time, the office was in silence, Lilac working, Spade not. But that time passed quickly, as Lilac found the pen in her hand unmoving.  
  
"Spade?" she said.  
  
"Yeah, Sash?" he replied.  
  
"If you ever want to talk about anything... I'm here, alright?"  
  
In the reflection in her monitor, Lilac saw Spade look up. He didn't look at her, though. He didn't say anything in response; no bitter quips, no arrogant insults. He just stopped functioning altogether, and the car on his screen crashed into a wall.  
  
In the corner of his screen, a notification popped up, and he exhaled pointedly. He took the mouse in his hand and scrolled over to click on it. He quickly read over the message that it brought. He blinked.  
  
"Huh, that's weird..." he mumbled, "I just got an invitation to your fancy important people party."  
  
"Huh," said Lilac, a small smile gracing her lips. "I wonder why."


	3. Chapter 3

There probably weren't many people who would opt to walk home from work after dark everyday in a big city like Shang Tu, but Lilac was one of them. To be fair, home wasn't entirely too far from the department, and it went without saying that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. But Lilac didn't walk home every night to show off, or even to save crystals on energy as some might. She just liked walking, and the feel of the cool night air on her face.  
  
Home itself was quite a bit different from the home Lilac had once known, many years ago. It was built with a similar elegance to the Royal Palace, as the lot wasn't placed all too far from there. The surrounding area was covered in healthy grass, filled with flowers, trees, and running water. And, of course, the house was pretty big. In short, it was an expensive piece of property… which they'd barely paid a single gem for, thanks to their connections. It had never been Lilac's dream to live in a place like this, but it was somebody else's, and for that, Lilac was happy. Besides, they had found compromise; Lilac got her favorite color, and all the luxuries of their old home.  
  
She checked the mailbox, decorated messily in hues of lavender and green, and found nothing but a needless reminder of the event set for the following weekend. She took a deep breath, taking in the familiar, inviting scents after a long day. At that, she stepped through the gate and started up the stone path leading home.  
  
The sound of the front door opening caught the attention of somebody else inside, who quickly paused the television and clumsily reached for something beside the couch. She nearly fell over when she stood up, but she caught herself and limped into the kitchen.  
  
“Hello~” Carol meowed, leaning on her flame-painted cane.  
  
Lilac gave a slight smile, turning just enough for Carol to see it. "Hi," she replied, unbuttoning her jacket and hanging it up.  
  
“There's food in the oven if you want it.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
Lilac lowered her gaze to the floor. She might have hoped that the movement was discreet, but Carol caught it, and raised an eyebrow. Then she lowered it, put on a smirk, and walked forward, her cane clacking against the tile floor.  
  
“How was work?" she inquired. "Boring?”  
  
Lilac grumbled and turned around, thumbing her tie. “Well, I wouldn't call it boring…”  
  
“Of course not!" Carol chuckled. "You were there.”  
  
Before Lilac could respond, Carol grabbed her by the tie and pulled her forward, and though Lilac stumbled in surprise, Carol pretty smoothly led her into a kiss. Lilac's tension eased, and she might have sighed if her mouth weren't preoccupied. She rested a hand on Carol's cheek before parting, and Carol held out the now freed tie to her.  
  
"Thank you..." said Lilac tiredly, taking the tie and folding it up.  
  
"No problem," said Carol. "What's on your mind?"  
  
"It's nothing..." Lilac slipped the tie into her pocket.  
  
"It's something," Carol corrected. She went over to the oven, hooked the handle with her cane and pulled it open. "Come on, just spill it already."  
  
Lilac bit her lip as she approached the sink, pulling a glass out of the cupboard. "Well... Remember how Neera wanted to assign me a partner?"  
  
Carol perked. "Oh-ho," she chortled, retrieving the casserole dish inside the oven, "finally acting on that, huh? What Joe Shmoe did she stick you with?"  
  
"Not exactly a Joe Shmoe..." Lilac ran the tap, filling her glass halfway. "You might know him, actually. His name is  _Sean Shuiman."_  
  
While Lilac drank her water, Carol scratched her chin contemplatively, running the name over her tongue. Suddenly, it clicked, and her ears snapped down against her head. "Oh. Oh  _no."_ Lilac chuckled almost reflexively at the reaction, spilling water down her chin.  _"Spade?!"_  
  
"Mmhm!" Lilac nodded, wiping the water off of her face.  
  
Caro's maw hung open, opening and closing slightly as she searched for the words to express her shock. "Wha... What?? We haven't seen him in  _years._  How is that even possible?"  
  
"I don't know!" Lilac set her glass down on the counter, laughing, crying. She rubbed her eyes and leaned against the counter. "I don't know... Neera said— She said that he turned himself in almost  _year_  ago, and now he's a police officer for some reason?"  
  
"What? That doesn't make any sense," said Carol. "Spade is, like, the Scarfiest Scarf to ever Scarf. Why would he turn himself in?"  
  
"I don't know!" Lilac exclaimed. "And now he's my partner I guess? But it's not even just that, Neera wants me to  _investigate_ him. She gave me a case file and everything. She wants me to  _investigate_ my  _partner._ And it's  _Spade._ And, I don't know... I don't know..."  
  
Carol tilted her head to one side, watching Lilac attempt to hold back the sorrow. She put on a sympathetic smile. "Aww. Come 'ere." At the invitation, Lilac trudged over and buried her face in Carol's hair. Carol patted her on the back. "Look at the gwumpy widdle Wiwac..." she purred. "Will food make you feel better?"  
  
Lilac nodded a little.  
  
"Alright. Then let's take your mind off things."  
  
After dishing out a plate for Lilac, the two sat down on the couch together, and Carol placed her cane down beside her. She gave a small grunt as she lifted her left leg onto the coffee table, then folded the right on top of it. While she flipped through channels on the flat screen, Lilac poked absently at the casserole in her dish. Any other time, Lilac might have looked forward to a home-cooked meal after a long day at work. But today had been a bit too long, and she couldn't find her appetite.  
  
"I just," she said, frustrated, "wish that I could talk to him without him being so abrasive. I mean, it's been  _decades_ since it happened, and we weren't on  _that_ awful of terms when we last saw each other, were we? But it's like, even when I try to be nice to him, he has to brush me off or insult me or both."  
  
"What happened to taking your mind off things?" Carol muttered.  
  
"I'm not hungry." Carol shrugged and took the dish from Lilac, who had no objections. "I mean, okay, I have to be discreet about the investigation thing, but how am I supposed to learn anything useful from him when he acts like this?" As Lilac continued, Carol went on channel-flipping, until she landed on a bike race that elicited an "ooh" from her. "He shouldn't still hate me like he does, it's been  _so long._ He's just so... so... insufferable! He makes everything more difficult than it has to be, just like he always has!"  
  
"Uh-huh," said Carol, shoving a forkful of casserole in her mouth and watching an athlete on the television pull a heelclicker.  
  
"I just don't know how I'm supposed to work with him," Lilac sighed, "as a partner or as a case. I just... I don't know. I thought we could have put that all behind us by now. Didn't you?"  
  
Carol blinked, glancing away from the screen to see Lilac staring expectantly at her. "Huh?" She quickly wiped her mouth, responding, "Uh, yeah, totally."  
  
Lilac rolled her eyes as Carol turned hers back to the race. "Never mind." Lilac took her dish back, grumpily poking through the food with the fork, and Carol looked away again to frown at her. "It's not important..."  
  
Carol grumbled, turned down the volume and carefully turned herself over to face Lilac. "Look," she said, while Lilac stubbornly avoided eye contact. "Just forget about Spade for now, okay? He's not here, so relax. You can deal with it tomorrow."  
  
"But that's just it," said Lilac, "I have to deal with it tomorrow. It's not going to go away,  _he's_ not going to go away. He's still going to be in my office in the morning, I'm still going to have to talk to him, and I just don't know if I can—"  
  
Carol shoved a forkful of pasta and cheese into Lilac's mouth, effectively silencing her. "You talk too much," Carol groaned, and pulled the fork away. Lilac chewed obediently, a slight blush crossing her cheeks. "Even if you can't forget about him, at least  _try_ not to get so worked up over it. Worrying isn't doing you any good, is it?"  
  
Lilac shook her head.  
  
"Right. Now, before we continue..." Carol removed the dish from the couch and scooted closer, placing her hands around her wife's waist and smirking suggestively. Lilac gulped the bite that had been sitting tentatively on her tongue. "Is there anything else you need to get off your chest?"  
  
"Um..." Lilac considered this. "He..." Her hands mechanically searched the back of her head, coming up empty. Her tone became somber. "He asked about my..."  
  
Carol's smirk became a frown. "You're not still upset about that, are you?" Lilac whimpered. Carol sighed. Leaving one hand where it was, she led the other up methodically, until it rested on the void. "Come on, you know they'll grow back eventually... They always did before." Lilac stiffened at the touch, but melted when Carol purred in her ear, "Besides, you're just as beautiful without them."  
  
Lilac bit back her breath as Carol kissed her cheek, trailing down her neck to her chest. Lilac's hands moved around Carol's waist, holding her body to her own. Carol lifted herself up, her face only barely apart from Lilac's. Still, Lilac's mind wandered, and her gaze broke away from Carol's.  
  
"He doesn't—"  
  
Carol brought their lips together, ceasing Lilac's thought in an instant. Lilac closed her eyes, letting herself relax. After a moment, however, she pulled away.  
  
"He doesn't," Lilac breathed, "he doesn't like us."  
  
Carol chuckled. "Of course he doesn't. You said that alrea—"  
  
"No. I mean..." Lilac bit her lip.  _"...us_ us."  
  
"Oh." Carol blinked. She looked down, scanning the couch and the floor while she thought. Then she scowled. "Well... Who cares? It's Spade, his opinion is worthless." She looked back up at Lilac, who didn't return the look. She brushed Lilac's cheek, and Lilac placed a hand on hers. "Don't listen to him. We're perfect for each other."  
  
"I—" Lilac placed her hands against Carol's chest, preventing her from leaning in again, and Carol raised an eyebrow. "I should go to bed."  
  
Carol frowned disappointedly, moving back so Lilac could stand. "Already?"  
  
"It's been a long day," Lilac sighed. "Tomorrow will be another."  
  
Couldn't argue with that. "Oh, alright..." Carol grumbled. "But you totally owe me now."  
  
 _"Goodnight,_ Carol," Lilac tittered. She bent over and gave Carol a peck on the forehead. "Thank you for the dinner."  
  
"Yeah," Carol hummed, and she laid back, moving her left leg into a comfortable position. Before Lilac could leave, Carol snagged her by the hand. "Hey." Lilac glanced back at her curiously. "I love you."  
  
Lilac gave a soft smile. "I love you too."  
  
As Lilac made her way upstairs, Carol cast a glance to the barely touched dish on the coffee table.  
  


* * *

  
Far to the other side of the city, in a little neighborhood to the west, there were rows of little houses lining a parking lot. Into said parking lot, under the flickering street lights, rolled a bulky black and silver motorcycle. There was a sticker on the side of it that said "Honk if You Want to Be Arrested."  
  
Spade rode his bike not into a parking space, but over the sidewalk edge and into the lawn in front of one of the houses. He parked it on the grass and hopped off. He walked up to the door and opened it without the need to unlock it, kicking it shut behind him.  
  
There was a pile of mail on the floor in front of the door, which he scooped up and tossed onto the small table a few feet away. He kicked off his shoes, threw his jacket and tie over a chair and went to see what was in the fridge. Not a lot. There was canned soup, though. He had plenty of that. He nonchalantly dumped a can into a bowl and nuked it in the microwave.  
  
He took his soup and flopped down on the only comfortable chair in the tiny two-room house. He clicked on the little box of a television across the room and flipped through channels until he landed on a bike race, which elicited a satisfied hum from him. For the time, it was just him, cheap soup, a dark room, and TV bike riders pulling heelclickers.  
  
When he finished the cheap soup, however, something willed his gaze over to the table. His mail was still sitting on top of it. He considered getting up. He considered not getting up. Eventually he decided on the prior, turned off the TV, tossed his dish onto the counter, and went through his mail.  
  
Bills, something about the Royal Gala (that didn't take long), more bills, an ad from a robot manufacturer... and a letter with an official-looking green seal on the envelope. He stared blankly down at the letter for a moment. He then cast everything else aside and opened it, reading over the parchment inside.

> _Dear Sean,_ _  
>  _ _I am pleased to hear from the Royal Magister that you have at last completed your training and have been hired into Shang Tu's police program. I must say with the utmost sincerity that I am very proud of you and the way that you have turned your life around, and I am very glad that you are finally doing something good for the world. I wish all the best for you and hope that you may find enjoyment in your endeavors. Please do write back after your first day on duty; I very much look forward to hearing about how things are fairing._ _  
>  _ _Love, Your Brother Dail_

Spade stared down at the letter even after he finished reading it. He glanced the loopy writing over again, then again. Then he set the letter down and glanced around. He knew he had paper somewhere... He pulled drawers open until he found the one that actually had paper in it, pulled a sheet out, almost forgot to grab a pen (but totally didn't), and started writing.

> _Dear Dail,_

The pen stopped moving. Spade looked down at the paper in front of him, with nothing but two scribbly words written on it. He tried to think of what he should write, anything at all. He thought about his brother, eagerly expecting this letter and what it might say. He thought about the too-long day that he had just dragged himself through.  
  
He thought about Lilac.  
  
He crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trash.  
  
On one side of the city, a woman in her nightgown climbed into a king-sized bed and pulled up the covers. On the other, a man in his underwear flopped down on a cot in his closet. They both stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep with the thought of the day ahead of them.


End file.
